The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced Tuesday it is offering eligible faculty and staff a voluntary retirement buyout with a one-time payment equal to 50% of an employee's annual base salary.

UW-Oshkosh becomes the third campus within the UW System to offer buyouts in an effort to reduce its workforce in the face of state budget cuts. UW-Eau Claire was the first, followed last week by UW-Superior.

UW-Oshkosh expects about 100 employees would be eligible. It has set a goal of reducing its workforce by 80 within the next three years.(90)

This is the way the market often works. Until the top guy signs, the others wait to see what he gets, "setting the market."

That's a bit odd this year because Greinke is far better than anyone else on the market, and therefore will get significantly more money. Some believe he'll top the seven-year, $161 million deal the Yankees gave CC Sabathia after the 2008 season to leave Milwaukee.

Now, you see why Greinke turned aside overtures from the Brewers at midseason for a contract extension. No firm offer ever was made, but the Brewers let Greinke and agent Casey Close know they'd be willing to talk in the range of $100 million or so over five years. Greinke and Close suspected they'd do much better on the market, and they were right, so they said "no thank you" to the Brewers, who then traded the pitcher to the Angels in late July for three prospects to assure some type of return.

So, if the Brewers hope to strike a deal with Ryan Dempster or any other decent starting pitcher on the market, like everyone else, they'll probably have to wait until Greinke makes up his mind. And, having gotten to know the Zackster, he'll be thorough and take his time before committing to the Dodgers or Rangers or whomever.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin and Dempster's agent, Craig Landis, touched base Tuesday but I am told the talks were not substantive. They probably agreed to wait out the market and talk again. Melvin doesn't want to go more than two years, especially with a 35-year-old pitcher, and Dempster would like three years on what is a thin pitching market.

I was asked yesterday how the Brewers could approach Greinke for a $100 million deal and now say they don't have the money to sign a top-tier free agent, such as Josh Hamilton. Well, things change. The Brewers probably would have had to be creative with any deal with Greinke, and owner Mark Attanasio always is willing to make exceptions for special players. There is more risk with Hamilton and the Brewers' primary need is pitching, not offense.

So, we'll see how the Brewers fare in their conservative approach to getting pitching help they definitely need. The bullpen remains a top priority, and they have kicked the tires on the likes of Jason Grilli, Mark Lowe, Sean Burnett and many others.

About Tom Haudricourt

Tom Haudricourt covers the Brewers and Major League Baseball. He was voted Wisconsin Sports Writer of Year for 2011 and 2012 by National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

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